Welcome to the first tutorial for Mithril Crafts! Today I’m going to be showing you how to make an owl pillow. I made these for several of my friends this past Christmas and they are so simple to put together. Let’s jump right in.Supplies:

1/2 yd. pretty cotton fabric

1/2 yd. contrast fleece fabric

1 square each of white, black, and yellow felt

Paper for tracing pattern (I used an old store ad)

Pen/pencil for tracing

Pins

Thread in matching color

Sewing machine or needle if you want to hand sewHow to Make It:

Here are the fabrics I used, some leftover pink fleece from one of the owls I made for Christmas, a pretty Valentine fabric from Jo-Ann Fabrics, and a square each of black, white, and yellow felt.

Once you have selected your fabrics, take your pattern paper and trace out the shape of your owl. I freehanded mine, then cut it out, folded it in half and trimmed it so that both sides matched exactly. Next I drew on the wings, beak, and eyes to get an idea of what size they should be.

Because I wanted to be able to keep my pattern, I traced it onto a second sheet and then cut out the individual pieces. Tip: Use two different sized bottle caps for the eyes to help you get perfect circles.

Next get your fabric out. Cut out two of the body–one out of fleece and the other out of the pretty cotton. Cut two wings out of fleece. Cut two of the big eye out of white felt and two smaller eyes out of black felt. Cut one beak out of yellow felt.

Take your pretty cotton fabric and pin on the wings, eyes, and beak. You might have to fiddle a bit to get them in a position on the body that you like.

I usually hand sew these on, but you can also machine stitch them down. Then place the right sides of the fabrics together and pin them, making sure to leave an opening of a few inches at the bottom so you can turn it right side out and stuff it. Machine or hand stitch around the edge from pin to pin, leaving the opening at the bottom. Cut in ease at the tip of the ear then turn it right side out, making sure the ears are pushed all the way out. Stuff the owl, starting with small sections for the ears and keeping it nice and fluffy! Hand stitch the bottom shut. Tada! You now have a cute owl pillow!

(Pictures of the last few steps coming soon. I will edit this post when I do)

I’d like to start this blog off by sharing a little bit about a man who continues to inspire me and to fuel my creativity to this day. His name was Monty Oum.

I was first introduced to Monty’s work in the form of a silly animation to the K-pop band Girls Generation song “Gee.” I was intrigued and kept following his work, first an animation called Dead Fantasy that he created in his spare time and then, finally, a show called RWBY. I loved everything about RWBY–from the character designs, to the world-building, to the plot and music. As I became invested in the show, I learned more about its creator too. Monty was endlessly positive and constantly creative. His personal motto, Keep Moving Foward, is a perfect embodiment of his world view. He inspired me as a creator in a way that no one else ever has, by how he lived his own life.

Just over two years go, Roosterteeth, the animation studio he worked for, posted an announcement that Monty was in the hospital in serious condition. My friends and I, and his fans around the world waited for word. On February 1st, two years ago today, we learned that he had passed away. Even trying to write this now, I find myself blinking away tears. I loved Monty as a dear friend, even though I never got the chance to meet him in person. His life, his creative vision, is still touching people around the world. It still impacts me. Whenever I feel like I’m stuck in a rut, I just think of him and it inspires me to press on.

On February 4th, I will be posting my first tutorial as part of the Monty Oum Project, which seeks to get people to honor Monty’s memory by creating. Until then, Keep Moving Forward!